STATES OF MATTER PART 1: Observable Properties of Solids, Liquids and Gases

A chemistry tutorial video explaining solids, liquids, and gases to school & science students . The video first examines the distinctive volume-changing and shape-changing properties of the three states of matter.
The video then shows that a substance can be changed from one state into another by adding or removing heat, and changing its temperature. The characteristics of melting point and boiling point are shown as well.
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About Atomic School:
Atomic School supports the teaching of Atomic Theory to primary school & science students .
We provide lesson plans, hands-on classroom resources, demonstration equipment, quizzes and a Teacher's Manual to primary school teachers. Animated videos that clearly explain the scientific ideas supports learning by both teachers and students. As a teacher, you don't have to look anywhere else to implement this program.
Our work has been verified by science education researchers at the University of Southern Queensland, Dr Jenny Donovan and Dr Carole Haeusler, who confirm that primary students are capable of learning much more complex scientific concepts than previously thought, and crucially, that they love it. Students run to class!
The program has been trialed in Australian schools as well as schools in the Philippines, Iran and India. It is conducted as holiday workshops at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, the Queensland Museum as well as the World Science Festival.
It has attracted wide media interest, including TV, radio and print, and the research data has been presented at prestigious American Education Research Association and Australian Science Education Research Association conferences.
Atomic Theory underlies all the other sciences- genetics, electronics, nanotechnology, engineering and astronomy- so an early understanding will set them up for a more successful learning sequence for all their science subjects, and support their mastery of mathematics as well. We also have extension programs that cover Biology, Physics and Astronomy to an equal depth.
About Ian Stuart (Email: [e-mail]):
The founder of Atomic School, Ian Stuart, taught Chemistry and Physics for 25 years at senior levels before he realized that his 8-year old son, Tom, could understand Atomic Theory at a much deeper level than he expected. After visiting Tom's class at school, he discovered that his peers could also grasp the abstract scientific concepts, as well as apply it usefully to the real world.
Ian then developed a program to teach the advanced concepts of high school Chemistry, Physics and Biology to students 10 years younger than they normally would. He found that this engaged their interest in modern science early, and sustained it through to high school and beyond. It also sets them up for future success in their academic and career paths.
Ian has a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from the University of Queensland and a Master's degree in Electrochemistry from the University of Melbourne.
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Video transcript:
The things in the world around us are either solids, liquids or gases. For example, we know that a rock and ice are solids, oil and water are liquids, and air is a gas. But what is it about a substance that makes it a solid, a liquid or a gas? We can tell solids, liquids and gases apart by looking at how their volume, and their shape can vary.
The volume of a thing means much space it takes up, or what size it is. For example, an elephant has both a big mass, and it also occupies a big volume. But although a hot air balloon is lighter than an elephant, it takes up more space. It's volume is bigger. This means that mass and volume are different things. We can measure mass in kilograms, and volume in litres.
The shape of something refers to the geometry of its surfaces- a sphere is a kind of 3 dimensional circle, the surfaces of a cube are all at right angles to each other, and this rock is quite irregular. Let's look at how we can change the volume or shape of solids, liquids and gases.
Can we change the volume of a solid? Try squashing a rock. Not doable. They can't be squeezed into a smaller space- they're incompressible. Can we change its shape? Try bending a rock. Not doable either.
Solids have both a fixed volume and a fixed shape. Their fixed volume and shape mean that solids are rigid.
Can we change the volume of a liquid?
Here's a beaker with a volume of 200 millilitres of water in it. Does the volume become larger or smaller when we pour it into a flask? Trick question. It's still 200 millilitres, so its volume hasn't changed. How about its shape?